Biography Sophie

Smart and cunning, she successfully influenced her husband’s policy, winning in all the intrigues that filled the Grand Duke Dvor. She did everything so that her son would become the heir to the throne, and the intra -family struggle ends with the victory of the Princess - later on Vasily III, the father of Ivan the Terrible. The overseas princess of the exact birth date of Sophia Zoe Zoe Paleologist we do not know, but most historians are inclined to the version that she was born in the year in Mistra.

She was the daughter of the despot of the Seaso Thomas Paleolog and was born in the vague and tragic time of the fall of the Byzantine Empire. After the capture of Constantinople by the Turks and the death of Emperor Konstantin Thomas, Paleolog, along with the whole family, fled to Corfu, and from there to Rome. There, Thomas was forced to accept Catholicism. In the year, Thomas dies, and before that his wife also died.

Zoya and her young brothers remain orphans, and their upbringing is taken by the Greek scientist, the Uniata Vissarion of Nicaea, who served under Papa Sikst IV, who later became the customer of the Sistine Chapel. Zoya Paleolog and her brothers were brought up in the Catholic faith. The cardinal took over not only education, but also the education and the content of children.

The content of the modest court of young paleologists, Vissarion, paid for the permission of the pope. And this included a servant, a doctor, two professors of Latin and Greek, translators and priests. So the young princess received a rather serious education at that time. When Zoya reached adulthood, the question arose of her guardians about her marriage. The first contender was King of Cyprus Jacques II de Lusignac, but at the last moment he refused, as he was afraid to bring the discontent of the Ottoman Empire.

The next groom of the Byzantine beauty in the year, at the request of Pope Paul II, was the Italian Velmozha Karachal. The betrothal took place, but at the last moment something was not completed again, and the marriage did not take place. Historians have a suspicion that Sophia secretly adhered to the Orthodox faith and herself frustrated the proposed marriages, so as not to go out for the Gentile.

But in this difficult period for Sophia Paleologists, an event happened that fundamentally changed her life. From this marriage, the only son Ivan young was born. But here a big policy interferes in the matter, and Pope Paul II, hoping for the strengthening of the Catholic faith, offers his pupil offers his pupil. For three years, negotiations were underway.

The king received permission from his mother, from Metropolitan Philip, from the boyars and decided to marry. Interestingly, during the negotiations, the question of religion of the bride was not affected. It was mentioned in passing that the bride is Orthodox, but they did not know that it was really. In June, the issue was completely resolved. In the basilica of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Rome, absentee collapse took place.

The wedding convoy went from Rome to Moscow. The same cardinal accompanied the bride. Now in a nutshell about how the future Grand Duchess looked. Bologna chroniclers describe Sophia as a rather attractive person. They write that she had snow -white skin and incredibly beautiful and expressive eyes. Growth cm and dense physique. There is an assumption that in the wagon of Sophia, except for clothing and jewelry, there were a large number of books.

It was they who later entered the mysterious library of Ivan the Terrible, which they are still looking for. The journey was long, the route ran through Germany and Poland, and then by sea through the Baltic. At the end of the trip, the accompanying people realized that their hopes to spread Catholicism or at least bring it closer to Orthodoxy. Sophia Paleolog, only having left Rome, showed a firm intention to return to the faith of the ancestors - Christianity.

The Grand Duchess on November 12 in the Assumption Cathedral in Moscow, a wedding took place. The paleologist became the great Russian princess Sophia Fominichny. From this moment, a qualitatively new life of the Russian state begins. In the baggage, Sophia had a great treasure - the covenants and traditions of the state and church power of the Byzantine Empire. A clear example of the continuity of Rus' from Byzantium is the two -headed eagle - the dynastic sign of the Paleologists, which becomes the state emblem of Rus'.

Later, St. George the Victorious, the coat of arms of Moscow, is added to him. The Grand Duke received not only his wife, but also the wise adviser in the person of an enlightened wife, who really did not like the boyars who had previously had an absolute influence on the prince. In addition to all this, she became the mother of a large family - she gave birth to 12 children, of which 9 lived a long life.

But the main event of their happy family life was the birth of an heir who was named after grandfather Vasily. This happened on March 25 of the year. The wise princess immediately after the birth of the child achieved to be declared the Grand Duke. This prudent step almost replaced from the queue to the throne of Ivan the Young, the son from the previous marriage.

But this gave rise to different rumors at the court. However, Sophia did not worry tension in the circles of the nobility. She insisted that her husband surround herself with the appropriate etiquette.This all corresponded to the traditions of the empire, and she knew what she did. Moscow was flooded with scientists, doctors, artists, architects, architects. All of them had to decorate the palace and the capital.

Sophia Paleolog as a reliable friend and the adviser convinced her husband to stop paying tribute to the Golden Horde. Ivan III listened to her and dropped her perennial yoke. And this is contrary to the opinion of the boyars, who were very afraid that bloodshed would begin. But not everything was as smooth at court as we would like. Ivan Young did not agree with the decision to appoint the son of Sophia the heir to the throne, and this caused a split at court.

One part of the boyars supported Ivan, the other was Sophia. The confrontation lasted quite a long time, only by the end of the century began to subside. Outwardly, the appearance of the cold world remained. But there was a sudden tragedy - Ivan young fell ill. Numerous overseas doctors could not save him. Ivan young died. The doctors, as usual, were executed, but in Moscow the rumor crawled that Sofya Paleologa had a hand in this tragedy.

The rumor reached Ivan III, and he was furious, he did not want to see his wife, and kept his son Vasily in custody. It got to the point that the son of Ivan the Young, Dmitry, officially proclaimed the heir to the throne. Sophia did not give up, she took advantage of the fact that Dmitry and his wife joined one of the sects of the crushing Christianity. This was enough, and the grandson Dmitry was in disgrace.

Sophia achieved her. Vasily again became the heir to the throne.

However, until the day when her son ascended the throne, she did not live. Sophia died in the year. Today, evaluating the life of Sophia Paleologist is quite difficult. Her life was really difficult, but very bright. Undoubtedly, she made a significant contribution to the history of the Moscow principality. Only the fact that she left no chance to Rome to make Rus' Catholic is already invaluable.

The Trinity-Sergius Monastery contains a veil, sewn by the hands of Sofia Paleolog in the year, in which her name is embroidered, where she calls herself not by the Grand Duchess of Moscow, but "Tsaregorodsky Princess." With her light hand, the Russian rulers first informally, and then officially began to call themselves kings. In the future, this letter is used by Peter the Great, proving his rights to coronation as an emperor.

Cover: Grand Duchess of Moscow Sofya Paleolog ok. Plastic reconstruction S. Nikitin,